Fox's new adaptation of The Exorcist has just found its director.
According to Deadline, Rupert Wyatt is set to direct the upcoming adaptation of William Peter Blatty's 1971 book The Exorcist. Wyatt is known for reviving the Planet of the Apes franchise with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011, but he's no stranger to television pilots, also helming the first episode of AMC's TURN: Washington's Spies. Wyatt will serve as executive producer of The Exorcist and Jeremy Slater (Fantastic Four) is set to write the pilot.
The Exorcist, a modern reinvention of the classic book and award-winning horror film, is as a serialized psychological thriller following two men as they tackle a family's case of demonic possession. This will be the first time the story has been adapted on television and the return of the Exorcist franchise after 11 years. The original movie series consisted of five installments, although there was only one book sequel.
The new show has been in the works for a while now and Morgan Creek has been shopping around the idea since at least 2012, as we previously reported. Fox has attempted to bring a successful film to television before with Minority Report, based on the Steven Spielberg film of the same name. That was a disappointment for the network, though, and it was pulled after just 10 episodes. Let's hope The Exorcist doesn't suffer a similar fate.